Writer/Artist Maurice Sendak Dies At Age 83

Children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak died following a stroke in Danbury, Connecticut, on Tuesday, May 8 at the age of 83.

Sendak, who most famously composed 1963's "Where the Wild Things Are," is credited with writing and/or illustrating dozens of books.

"I don't write for children," he said in his memorable January appearance on "The Colbert Report." "I write, and somebody says, 'That's for children.' I didn't set out to make children happy, or make life better for them, or easier for them."

Born June 10, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York, Sendak decided to become an illustrator at age 12 after watching Walt Disney's "Fantasia."

Eventually, he would get work with DC Comics, filling in backgrounds for reprints of the "Mutt and Jeff" comic strips. His first book, "Kenny's Window," was published in 1956.